--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As Dostoevski said: 'Love in action is a…" description: "\"As Dostoevski said: 'Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams.\" — Dorothy Day" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/994/dorothy-day-1629_action_as-dostoevski-said-love-in-action-is-a-h_2807561.png" --- # As Dostoevski said: 'Love in action is a harsh and… ![“As Dostoevski said: 'Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams.” quote by Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/994/dorothy-day-1629_action_as-dostoevski-said-love-in-action-is-a-h_2807561.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/994/dorothy-day-1629_action_as-dostoevski-said-love-in-action-is-a-h_2807561.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/994/dorothy-day-1629_action_as-dostoevski-said-love-in-action-is-a-h_2807561.png) > “As Dostoevski said: 'Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams.” [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Contrasts the harsh reality of love expressed through deeds with the idealized, gentle love of dreams. **In simple terms:** Real love is demanding and painful. Key Takeaway Act on love despite difficulty. Themes love action reality Mood inspirational reflective Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - volunteering - social work - personal relationships Key Concepts ethical practice spiritual discipline psychology of altruism Questions to Reflect On - How does active love challenge you? - What comforts can you find in love’s hardships? A Different Perspective May idealize suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Action Harsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action-harsh-2439722/) [Compared Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compared-love-1724322/) [Dostoevski Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dostoevski-said-3496864/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Harsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harsh/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Love Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-action/) [Love Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-dreams/) [Love In Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-in-dreams/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) ## Related quotes > [Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing-compared-to-love-in/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing-compared-with-love-in/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Love in action is harsh and dreadful when compared to love in dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/love-in-action-is-harsh-and-dreadful-when-compared-to-love-in-dreams/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“Dostoyevsky says, “love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared to love in dreams” (The Brothers Karamazov).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/dostoyevsky-says-love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“I am sorry I can say nothing more to console you, for love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-am-sorry-i-can-say-nothing-more-to-console-you-for-love-in-action/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“...for love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams is greedy for immediate action, rapidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/for-love-in-action-is-a-harsh-and-dreadful-thing-compared-with-love/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“I am sorry I cannot say anything more comforting, for active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams. Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/i-am-sorry-i-cannot-say-anything-more-comforting-for-active-love-is-a/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [... active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with the love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing-compared-with-the-love-in/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“Active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed, and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing-compared-with-love-in-dreams/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“...For active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams. Love in dreams thirsts for immediate action, quickly performed, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/for-active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing-compared-with-love-in/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“Never be frightened at your own faint-heartedness in attaining love. Don't be frightened overmuch even at your evil actions. I am sorry I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/never-be-frightened-at-your-own-faint-heartedness-in-attaining-love/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [“In the words of Dostoyevsky, “Active love is a harsh and fearful thing compared with love in dreams.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamin-goggin/in-the-words-of-dostoyevsky-active-love-is-a-harsh-and-fearful-thing/) [Jamin Goggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamin-goggin/) > [“Reading a book about something can be an obstacle to doing it because it gives you the impression that you are doing what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/reading-a-book-about-something-can-be-an-obstacle-to-doing-it-because/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [“The air of a deposed prince. falsehood as restorative-if they wouldnt do that if they wouldnt do all that they do. the body as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-koertge/the-air-of-a-deposed-prince-falsehood-as-restorative-if-they-wouldnt/) [Ron Koertge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-koertge/) > [“One cannot prove anything here, but it is possible to be convinced.' How? By what?' By the experience of active love. Try to love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/one-cannot-prove-anything-here-but-it-is-possible-to-be-convinced-how/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) ## More by Dorothy Day > [“There was no attack on religion because people were generally indifferent to religion. They were neither hot nor cold. They were the tepid, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/there-was-no-attack-on-religion-because-people-were-generally/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [We must recognize the fact that many Nazis, Marxists and Fascists believe passionately in their fundamental rightness, and allow nothing to hinder them from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-recognize-the-fact-that-many-nazis-marxists-and-fascists/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“Now don't think I've lost my mind - but I'll tell you, I'll look at some of the cards I have, some of Van…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/now-don-t-think-i-ve-lost-my-mind-but-i-ll-tell-you-i-ll-look-at-some/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Sexual Revolution is a complete rebellion against authority, natural and supernatural, even against the body and its needs, its natural functions of child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sexual-revolution-is-a-complete-rebellion-against-authority/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Idealism in the young, I guess I'm saying, is curiosity as well as goodness trying to express itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/idealism-in-the-young-i-guess-i-m-saying-is-curiosity-as-well-as/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Voluntary poverty isn't going around with some burlap bag around you and imitating the poor. It means being indifferent to the material, doing as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/voluntary-poverty-isn-t-going-around-with-some-burlap-bag-around-you/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Women think with their whole bodies and they see things as a whole more than men do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/women-think-with-their-whole-bodies-and-they-see-things-as-a-whole/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [My whole life so far, my whole experience has been that our failure has been not to love enough. This conviction brought me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/my-whole-life-so-far-my-whole-experience-has-been-that-our-failure/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [I think one of the things we must constantly keep in mind is, 'If anybody hits you on one cheek, turn the other.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/i-think-one-of-the-things-we-must-constantly-keep-in-mind-is-if/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [It is only through religion that communism can be achieved, and has been achieved over and over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/it-is-only-through-religion-that-communism-can-be-achieved-and-has/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The Communists in Cuba didn't assist Castro in his revolution. They weren't on the side of the students. They didn't do anything to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-communists-in-cuba-didn-t-assist-castro-in-his-revolution-they/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [Dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as well as our friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/dear-god-please-enlarge-our-hearts-to-love-each-other-to-love-our/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [A conversion is a lonely experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/a-conversion-is-a-lonely-experience/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [The sense is always that community is natural to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/the-sense-is-always-that-community-is-natural-to-people/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) > [“We must practice the presence of God. He said that when two or three are gathered together, there he is in the midst of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-day/we-must-practice-the-presence-of-god-he-said-that-when-two-or-three/) [Dorothy Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) [Explore all 220 Dorothy Day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-day/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. 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